Stringed instrument.



No. 634,|o3.

Patented Oct. 3, |899. J BRANDT STRINGED INSTRUMENT.

(Application filed Apr. 19, 1899.)

(No Modal.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BRANDT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STRINGED INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters `Patent No. 634,103, dated October 3, 1899.

Application filed April 19, 1899. Serial No. 713,572. (No nicely To @ZZ whom it may concern:

f Be it known that I, JOHN BRANDT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stringed Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in stringed instruments.

It is well known that the quality and vol- 'ume of the tone of a stringed instrument depend very largely on the manner in which the sounding-board responds to the Vibration of the strings. An important feature in the construction of a sounding-board is its resiliency, which is influenced by the material or materials whereof the sounding-board is composed and also by the weight and distribution of said material or materials. It is important also that the shape of the instrument should be permanent.

Having in View the attainment of these features in their highest form, the objects of my invention are, first, to provide steel resonancebraces properly placed upon the soundingboard; second, to provide suitable means for holding said resonance-braces in position, and, third, to provide a metallic body-brace for preventing the spreading of the sides of the instrument. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichg Figure l is a top view of a mandolin embodying my invention and shows in dotted lines the resonance braces and the bodybrace. Fig. 2 is a face view of the underside of a portion of the sounding-board, showing the resonance-braces and the cover for said braces. Fig. 3 is a View in central longitudinal section of a portion of the sounding-board, showing the resonance-braces and cover. Fig. 4e is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the instrument, showing the position of the body-brace. Fig. 5 is a top View in detail of a portion of the side or rim of the instrument, showing the method of fastening the bodybrace thereto. Fig. 6 is a side View of an extremity of the body-brace. Fig. 7 is a face View of the under side of a portion of the sounding-board, showing an alternative form of cover for the resonance-strips.

Similar letters referto similar parts throughout the several views.

The sounding-board A, having the soundhole a and supporting the bridge B, is connected with the neck Z1 and supported bythe sides C C of the instrument. Said sides C C are composed at the upper portion thereof, adjacent to said sou nding-board, of three layers of material, the center layer c being a portion of the side proper and extending downward to form the body of the instrument. The layer c, lying upon the interior of the instrument, forms the inside lining, and the layer c2, lying upon the exterior of the instrument, forms the outside lining thereof.

The brace D, consisting of a thin and narrow strip, preferably of spring-steel, extends transversely across the body of the instrument. The extremities d (l of said brace D are bent approximately at right angles to the length thereof and are inserted between the center layer c and the outside lining c2 of the body of the instrument. As the said layers are glued together, the brace D is thus securely fastened to cach of the sides C C.

The sounding-board A is fastened to the sides C C upon the top thereof and is bowed upward at the center a', as shown in Fig. il. Lying adjacent to said sounding-board upon the under side thereof and parallel thereto are the resonance-braces E E, consisting of thin flat strips of spring-steel slightly bowed when in place and conforming to the shape of the sounding-board A. Said resonance-braces extend across the instrument and preferably into the sides thereof and are grouped near the sound-hole @,where they are securely held in position by the secondary brace or cover F. The use of these braces greatly strengthens 'the sounding-board, and therefore when said braces are used the sounding-board may be made thinner and lighter than is necessary when said braces are not used. By placing the resonance-braces E E and cover F near the sound-hole a the greatest result in strength and resiliency of the sounding-board, proportionately to the weight of said bracing, is obtained. Said cover F consists of Norway pine or other suitable material and is attached to the sounding-board Ain such a manner as to hold the resonance-braces E E securely in IOO position. ln an instrument where a loud tone is desired l prefer to have said cover l? extend substantially the entire width of the instrument, as shown in Fig. lf a soft tone is desired, l prefer to construct the cover in separate sections placed at intervals across the sounding-board A. Said sections, one of which is shown in Fig. 7 and lettered F', are attached to the under side of the soundingboard A and securely hold the braces E E in position against said sounding-board.

In theoliicration of the instrulnent the tension of the strings causes the bridge B to exert great pressure upon the top of the soundingboard A, and under the stress thus induced therein the sides C G have a tendency to spread apart. lf the sides spread, the sounding-board loses its resonance and is also apt to become cracked. lf the sounding-board braces are made heavy enough to overcome this difficulty, the sounding-board loses resiliency and the tone of the instrument is deadened; but by using the body-brace D they spreading of the sides is prevented and the bow or transverse curvature of the soundingboard is made permanent, .thus greatly prolonging the time during which the instrument will stay in tune. Gn account of the great resiliency of the sounding-board proportionately to the weight thereof and also on aecount probably of the molecular structure of steel the tone of the instrument having my said invention is remarkable for its clear belllihe quality and its carrying property.

The construction of the sides of stringed instruments having sounding-boards varies, and l do not Wish to limit myself to the specific method above described of attaching the body-brace D to the sides of the instrument, as other suitable methods will readily present themselves to those skilled in the art. It is evident also that the number of said bodybraces D may be increased should occasion require.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a stringedinstrument wherein a single bridge rests upon the sounding-board, a ten sion body-brace consisting of a strip of sheet metal extending transversely to the strings of said instrument, for preventing the spreadingl of the sides ol.' said instrument, said brace being rigidly attached to the said sides of said instrument, and being substantially independent of the said sounding-board.

2. In a stringedinstrument the combination of steel resonance-braces extending transvcrsely across the sounding-board thereof,and secondary resonance-brace covers.

In astringed instrument,thc combination of a sounding-board having transverse steel resonance-braces; a secondary brace or cover whereby said steel braces are held in position; and a metallic body-brace securely attached to the sides of said instrument, whereby said sides are prevented from spreading.

t. In a stringed instru men t,the combination of a brace consisting of a thin strip of spring metal extending across the body of the instrument beneath and adjacent to the soundingboard thereof, said brace being securely attached to the body of said instrument on opposite sides thereof, in such a manner that the spreading of said sides induces tension in said brace; steel sounding-board resonance-- braces; and means for holding said resonancebraces in position.

5. In a stringed instr ument,the combination of a tension body-brace; resonance-braces consisting of thin ila-t strips of spring-steel, extending approximately transversely across said instrument upon the under side of thc sounding board, substantially the entire Width thereof, and means for holding said resonance-braces in position.

6. In a stringed instrument, a tension bodybrace attached to the body of said instrument on opposite sides thereof, steel resonancebraces, and a cover consisting of wood, attached to the under side of the soundingboard of said instrument and holding said steel resonance-braces securely in position against said sounding-board.

JOHN BRANDT.

lVitnesses:

HOWARD M. Cox, ltlanv M. BAonimN. 

